Cat litter is often a chore to manage because it must be changed very regularly, firstly because otherwise your cat will no longer want to do its business in it and will urinate and defecate in your bed or in your plants. Plus knowing when to change the cat’s litter is important because odors can permeate the room as time goes by.
So when should the change be made? To answer this question, I will guide you in this article so that you can change it at the best time and avoid all the inconveniences associated with a litter changed at the wrong times.
I will even explain my little-used techniques to change the cat’s litter as little as possible while keeping it as hygienic as possible. Here’s everything you need to know about when to change cat litter.
When to change the cat litter? Frequency
It is necessary to distinguish here two things, first of all the regular change of the dirty zones and the change of the litter very short. Here’s everything you need to know about how often you should change your cat’s litter box to keep everything clean enough for her to do her business and not smell.
For heavily soiled areas
As for the cleaning of dirty areas, it must be done every day with a litter shovel to be sure to grab everything you need. You can put it in a dedicated cat feces bin to avoid nasty odors from when you put it in a kitchen bin.
Without this, your cat will quickly refuse to do its business quickly and the smell will be present, even if, as we will see, there are solutions to avoid this unpleasant smell.
For the litter box
As for the total change of the litter box, doing it once a week is ideal so that everything is perfectly hygienic, especially for the urine that accumulates.
I specify that a litter per cat is essential because the cats are territorial and do not share their common corner. I also specify that this applies to indoor cats. Because if you have an outdoor cat, then he may be doing his business everywhere.
This litter change frequency applies to all types of litter except those that are self-cleaning. These clean themselves by transferring excrement and eliminating odors when your cat does its business and if you want to buy one, count around 60 euros for a quality model. The tray should be changed about once a month.
If your cat has access outside
In the event that your cat relieves itself outside, you can space out the total change of litter and do it according to its use so as not to change it unnecessarily.
Some cats that have access to the outside will almost exclusively relieve themselves outside. If you want him to be able to go outside in all circumstances, then install a cat flap, he may even get into the habit of always going outside to relieve himself.
The guided method
You may also be wondering how to change it completely and without making any mistakes, here are the steps to follow step by step:
- First of all, take a glove and a mask: To avoid breathing harmful dust due to excrement, especially if you are pregnant or have respiratory problems. The one for the covid will be perfect. It will be more pleasant anyway because the cat’s excrement has a generally foul smell.
- Use a dedicated shovel : The shovels dedicated to litter are the most suitable and allow efficient emptying. You can then throw it in the trash. The saving of time and the hygienic aspect will thus be maximized. In any case, it is advisable not to mix the shovels, because the litter of the dirty is much dirtier than the classic dirt of the floor.
- Wash the tray with hot water: A disinfectant is recommended to prevent any dirt from remaining and the litter box to be completely clean. No mess can get worse over time. You can also take products dedicated to cleaning the litter box, which will not disgust your cat and will be very effective.
- Dry the litter box: To avoid that when you refill the litter box, the granules cling to the edge with the water. Paper towels will do the trick, but avoid substances that are too fine, such as tissues and toilet paper.
- Add 7 to 8 cm of litter granules: If you do not put enough, your cat will not go because it will not be able to cover anything. And if you put too much on, maybe your cat will go, but he’ll sink in and may have feces clinging to his paws as he comes out. Take into account the size of the cat, this measurement is for normal size and adult cats.
- Disinfect cleaning utensils : A point which is often forgotten but which should never be neglected, you can for example use household alcohol, leaving them dirty can be vectors of diseases such as toxoplasmosis.
- Wash your hands well: Not only with water but with soap or hand gel to avoid any residues and transmitting them to people prone to toxoplasmosis such as young children and pregnant women .
How to make sure that you have to change it less often?
If the litter needs to be changed, doing so is always unpleasant, but there are several solutions to make it use less of its litter. Of course, it is not a question of making him eat or drink less, but adapted solutions can be put in place. I’ll let you in on my little secrets:
- Teach him to use the toilet: the younger he is, the easier it will be to do, for this, use a special kit but be aware that it will take him time to get used to it. It will first be necessary to put the litter in the toilets then to put it in height and to go there gradually.
- Take him outside: If it is not dangerous for him and he wants to, the cat will relieve himself outside and you will need to change the litter less. Cats prefer to relieve themselves in nature and if there is earth nearby they will use it as litter, the same for trees to pee, allowing them to mark their territory. It is for this reason that many cats defecate outdoors.
- Take a large litter: A large litter may last longer before it needs to be changed. If you have large cats like Maine Coons, then a large size is a must.
- Put the litter in an isolated place: Which is recommended anyway so that he is comfortable there. Avoid putting it near where you eat, for example, because the disgust of the smell will force you to change it much more often.
- Put the litter in a cool place: The hotter it is, the more the litter will be fragrant and snubbed by your cat, the cooler the place, the less the change will need to be recurrent.
- Put baking soda in it : Baking soda is a very good odor absorber and the cat is not afraid of it, so don’t hesitate to put it in the cat’s litter box.
What will happen if it is not changed?
In this case, you will suffer the consequences of not replacing it, because your cat will begin to snub the litter box, remember that his sense of smell is 70 times more developed than yours and that he will quickly detect bad smells.
But above all, there will come a second stage where the stench will become stronger and stronger and potentially carrier of diseases such as toxoplasmosis which I told you about and which is potentially fatal for fragile organisms.
Finally, your cat chooses to poop in other places such as the bed or plants that will seem much better suited to him than his dirty litter. He can also choose never to poop and pee, which can cause him health problems.
Consider self-cleaning litter
There are self-cleaning litter box litter boxes that will allow you not to have to change it regularly, they are available for sixty dollars on average and will make you forget about litter odors and litter changes for a long time.
When to change the cat litter? The final word
Changing the cat’s litter box should be done at a certain frequency, daily to eliminate excrement and weekly for a deep cleaning, but you can space out these periods if you put the right solutions in place.